Dream Prince
by Sorella della Luna
Summary: Natsume Hyuuga was your everyday heart throb, or so, Mikan Sakura thinks. Natsume lives with her and her mother, all because he came to them one rainy night. Then, he ends up studying in Mikan's high school, capturing every maiden's heart.
1. Natsume Hyuuga's Arrival

_**Dream Prince**_

**Chapter 1**

"Natsume, you will be okay, won't you? You'll be back?" Natsume's mother asked.

"Yes, I will," Natsume replied.

"Onii-chan!" Aoi, Natsume's little sister, called.

"What do you want?" Natsume grunted.

"Hold out your hand," Aoi said.

Natsume obeyed. The next thing he knew, a necklace with a red gem on it was on his palm.

"When it shine, it means the girl of your dreams is nearby," Aoi said, "It's up to you to believe in it."

"Right Aoi," Natsume said, sarcastically.

"You're coming back with my new sister-in-law, right onii-chan?" Aoi asked.

Natsume just ignored her.

"Hurry up, Natsume-kun. The portal's closing," Natsume's mom said.

"I'll see you, onii-chan," Aoi said.

Natsume stepped into the portal.

_Hello mortal world._

Mikan Sakura, who was 17 years old, was working on her truckload of homework.

"Mikan-chan! Phone call!" Yuka, Mikan's mother announced.

"Okaa-chan, I'm busy," Mikan replied. "Stupid midterms," She muttered under her breath.

Mikan drank some cappucino from the cup beside her.

"Mikan-chan, get some rest. You'll be more likely to fail midterms that way," Yuka said.

"Okaa-chan..." Mikan said.

"I'll help you finish it okay?" Yuka offered.

"Arigatou!!" Mikan screamed and then hugged her mother.

"It's a mystery that you don't join the pep squad," Yuka said, "You were even elected captain this year...and you quit."

"I'm too busy to be all pom-poms and scream all those stupid cheers," Mikan said.

"Oh dear; is that the only reason why you quit the squad?" Yuka asked.

"It wasn't me," Mikan replied.

"Sure, you had an injury but Mikan, it's completely healed now. You could join the squad again, you know," Yuka stated.

"I find cheerleading boring. Could we stop talking about this?" Mikan said.

"Okay. Oyasumi, Mikan-chan," Yuka said.

"Oyasumi," Mikan said.

Natsume had arrived and it was clearly raining hard. His clothes were wet. He was still warm but he definitely got pissed off because of the endless rain. He looked around and saw that there were a bunch of houses, but he didn't know which one to enter. He entered the one in front of him, but before that, he knocked on the door.

"Coming," Yuka said.

Yuka opened the door to see Natsume and his dripping clothes.

"Can I stay over for the night?" Natsume asked.

"Sure. You look like you could use a bath before everything else though," Yuka replied, "Follow me. I'll show you to the guest room."

Natsume followed Yuka to the guest room,which happened to be the room next to Mikan's. Mikan was sound asleep.

"Whose room is beside mine?" Natsume asked.

"My daughter's. Her name is Mikan. I am Yuka, by the way. What's your name?" Yuka asked.

"Natsume Hyuuga," Natsume replied.

"If you need anything from me, you could always ask me. My room's the one across yours," Yuka said, "The bathroom's at the end of the corridor. May I ask one thing, Natsume-kun?" Yuka asked.

"Sure," Natsume replied.

"Will you be staying for long?" Yuka asked.

"Maybe," Natsume replied.

"Well, good night, Natsume-kun," Yuka said.

"Good night," Natsume said.

Natsume got his towel and saw the bathroom. He liked the house fine. It was small and quite cozy. Yuka was definitely a kind person. All he needed to find out was who Mikan Sakura was, and why the necklace glowed strongly in front of her room's door.

**End of Chapter 1**

Author's Notes: Hey. :) Hope you enjoyed this one. I need reviews so review, okay?


	2. School, Natsume, and Mikan's Homework

**Dream Prince**

**Chapter 2**

Mikan woke up.

"OH GOD! I'M LATE!" Mikan screamed, which woke up her mother and Natsume.

"Mikan-chan, it's a Saturday," Yuka reminded her.

"Oh. Right," Mikan said, "I'm sorry. I got lost with all those homework...Kyaaa! Am I seeing a ghost? Who is that? Why is he here? Oh my! Okaa-chan!!"

"Mikan-chan, he's a visitor. His name is Natsume-kun and he'll be staying with us for a while," Yuka said.

"Ohayou!" Mikan said to Natsume with a smile, "I'm sorry about that."

"Just stop screaming like that so I can sleep peacefully," Natsume said, "BA-KA. By the way, nice underwear. Polka dots..."

"You pervert!!" Mikan screamed.

"Uhh...Mikan-chan, what about your homework?" Yuka asked.

"It's not yet finished," Mikan replied and sighed.

So, Mikan ended up dragging herself to the table with homework on it.

_You will pay next time, Hyuuga._ Mikan thought. She laughed evilly and then sighed. _Stupid homework._

"Psycho," Natsume said.

"Umm...Mikan-chan, can I come in?" Yuka asked.

"Hai," Mikan replied.

"I have something to tell you," Yuka said.

"Go on," Mikan said.

"Natsume-kun...will have to study at your school for now," Yuka said.

"NANI?!" Mikan screamed. (A/N: Picture Mikan screaming, and then some birds by her window all fly away. Then, some kind of astronaut becomes temporarily deaf. Then, some kind of guy from the other side of the world also hears it and freaks out and dies:)) )) It looks really funny in my imagination.)

"Shut up," Natsume says on the other side of the wall.

Mikan sighed.

"But he's an obnoxious, stuck-up pervert! And he also calls me a psycho," Mikan said.

"But Mikan-chan, he's just about your age and he needs education," Yuka said.

"But, I, Mikan Sakura, 17 years old, will not agree to walking together with him to school!" Mikan said.

"Well, you won't walk with him to school. No one ever said you had to walk with him to school," Yuka said.

"Good," Mikan said.

"But..." Yuka said.

"But?!" Mikan screamed again.

"Oh God. Doesn't anyone in this house understand the word silence?" Natsume asked.

"Gomen, Natsume-kun," Yuka said, "Anyway, you'll have to show him around. And, I arranged both of your classes to be the same. Of course I had to pay extra; but you're the only one I can trust with Natsume. There's something about him that I can't understand and I think you're the only one who can."

"Okaa-chan! Why did you do that?" Mikan asked.

"I needed to," Yuka replied, "Just finish up your homework, okay? He won't be entering until the next semester...you know, after sem break. After all, you get a break after your midterms, right?"

"Yeah. We do," Mikan said.

"Well, good luck with the homework," Yuka said.

**Monday morning**

"Almost...there," Mikan muttered.

The school bell was about to ring and Mikan had already gotten in the school. Now, she had to reach her classroom, 4-B.

"Gomen--"

"Oh no, Mikan-chan. You just arrived in time," Narumi said.

"Hooray!" Mikan said.

She raced to her seat and sat down.

"Hey, Mikan-chan, I heard about that guy who lives with you," Anna, her seatmate, said.

"...How did that even spread?" Mikan asked.

"We've seen the guy who goes out of your balcony," Nonoko replied for her best friend.

_I am so going to kill Natsume. _Mikan thought.

"He's kind of hot," Anna said.

"I'll have to agree," Nonoko said.

"...Say, does he seem to have an interest on you?" Nonoko asked.

"NANI?!" Mikan screamed.

"Are you alright, Mikan-chan?" Narumi asked.

"Hai, Narumi-sensei," Mikan replied, "Gomen."

Narumi continued discussing about midterms and all that jazz while the 3 girls continued chatting.

"Of course, Natsume is the least bit interested in me," Mikan replied.

"Mikan-chan, do you like him?"

"NANI?!" Mikan screamed again.

"Class dismissed. Mikan-chan, can I speak to you for a moment?" Narumi asked.

"Damn," Mikan muttered.

"Gosh, why did you ask all those embarrassing questions at class?" Mikan asked.

"What embarrassing questions?" Hotaru asked.

"You don't need to know!" Mikan said.

"We were asking about that Natsume guy who lives in her house," Nonoko and Anna said at the same time.

"Ohh...That guy over there in front of the gates?" Hotaru asked.

Mikan clenched her fists and ran towards the gates, of course feeling angry at him for even coming to her school. It wasn't even the next semester, so she wondered why he would be here.

"NAAAATSUUUMEEE!!" Mikan screamed angrily.

**BAKA!**

Mikan fell, on the spot.

"I saved your life Hyuuga, so pay up," Hotaru said.

"Whatever," Natsume replied, "I was just here to take this to the Registrar's anyway."

Mikan stood up.

"Is that your...Is that your...IS THAT YOUR APPLICATION FORM?!" Mikan asked.

"...By the looks of it, it is," Natsume replied, "You don't have to scream...BAKA."

"Hmph. I won't take you to the Registrar's. You'll have to find it yourself. I have homework to do," Mikan said.

She continued walking out of the school gates, walking towards her house.

"Okaa-chan, WHY WAS HE AT SCHOOL?!" Mikan screamed.

"He was there to take his application form to the Registrar's. Remember? He's going to your school after the break," Yuka said, "He told me that he would be staying for some time. By some time, I don't really know how long."

Mikan sighed.

"It seems as if he's going to be staying here forever," Mikan said, "Oh well, I'll be doing my homework."

"I'm home," Natsume said.

"Welcome back, Natsume," Yuka said.

Natsume just walked back to his room. While walking, he saw that Mikan was doing her homework.

"Hey, are you sure a baka like you can finish that?" Natsume asked.

"I can...and I will," Mikan replied.

Natsume looked at Mikan's homework.

"It's quite simple actually," Natsume said.

"Oh? So you're some kind of genius boy who can finish my truckload of homework in, possibly, a minute?" Mikan asked.

"Maybe 10," Natsume said.

"Oh. Shut up; I'll time you," Mikan said.

**After 10 minutes...**

"I'm done," Natsume said.

"Well, if it's wrong and you don't get me at least a C, you are going to be dead...so dead that you won't be able to go to school after the break," Mikan said.

Natsume just smirked.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to work on my English paper," Mikan said.

"Just a suggestion. I don't think outlining will be good for you. Just jot everything down at the spur of the moment," Natsume said.

"Oh...Shut up," Mikan said, "Just go back to your room and read those damn comic books you bought."

"Whatever."

Mikan smiled as she followed Natsume's tips.

_You better give me an A._

"Looks like you're beginning to get along with Natsume-kun," Yuka said.

"Oh...It was just some homework. He thinks he's a genius," Mikan said, "How...thick-headed can he be?"

"Well, Mikan-chan, I think most of these are correct...enough to land you a C. Well, even enough to be given an A even, I guess," Yuka said, "Maybe he was home-schooled?"

"Yeah. I was," Natsume said.

"No wonder," Yuka said.

"I've studied more advanced stuff but it's fine for me to review," Natsume said.

"Arigatou," Mikan said, "I've been working these even before you came."

Suddenly, some pom-poms fell out of the closet.

"What are those?" Natsume asked.

Mikan bit her lip. It looked like she had a lot of explaining to do.

**Author's Notes: **Wow...Still a long way to go. Thank you for the reviews in the previous chapter anyway! :) I'll be updating with this one faster so yeah. :) Leave some reviews please :D


	3. The Past, Exams, and Rukapyon

**Dream Prince**

_Suddenly, some pom-poms fell out of the closet._

_"What are those?" Natsume asked._

_Mikan bit her lip. It looked like she had a lot of explaining to do._

**Chapter 2**

"It's nothing. It was something I had been using before," Mikan said.

"Are you a cheerleader?" Natsume asked.

"I used to be!" Mikan replied, "You hate cheerleaders, don't you?"

"No...I don't. I just find them annoying," Natsume said.

"Well, would you listen to why I did cheerleading before?" Mikan asked.

Natsume remained silent.

**Flashback**

_It was the day of cheerleading try-outs. Of course, there were a lot of aspiring cheerleaders gathered in the gym, waiting for the squad. Mikan happened to pass by the gym. She had just come from gymnastics class._

_"Alright, if you don't have what it takes to be a cheerleader, better leave this gym...NOW," The captain of the squad had said._

_Mikan looked. It seemed interesting._

_"If you are only doing this because their parents told them to do so, leave," The captain said._

_"If you don't have the passion, leave," The captain said._

_Mikan entered._

_"May I enter?" Mikan asked._

_"Sure; are you trying out?" The captain asked._

_"Maybe. I'll stay to see if I can take this cheerleading thing," Mikan replied._

_"Well then, suit yourself," The captain said._

_The captain had jet black hair tied up into a ponytail. Her eyes were a piercing shade of blue. _

_"Anyway, get off your asses and come down here," The captain said, "Except the spectators of course."_

_Then she smiled._

_"By the way, my name is Yuki Sakamoto," The captain said and then winked._

_"Alright! Let's start with a basic routine," Yuki said._

_Yuki and the other cheerleaders on the squad began doing some dance steps and Mikan watched them._

_"Anyone who can't keep up will have to leave, so anyway...follow our leads," Yuki said._

"I didn't really know how to dance then, but they were impressed with my gymnastics abilities and all. So I got in the squad," Mikan said, "I quite enjoyed it but then, my grades began going down."

"The grades problem bugged me a lot. Until one day, I was on top of the pyramid when I got an injury," Mikan said, "It's healed already, but I knew that deep inside, cheerleading was never for me."

"I see," Natsume said.

"Ne, Natsume, why do you find cheerleaders annoying?" Mikan asked.

"I just find them annoying with their high-pitched screams and those show-off stunts," Natsume replied, "Now I know why you have the high-pitched screaming."

"Retard," Mikan said.

"Idiot," Natsume replied.

"Natsume, where did you come from?" Mikan asked.

Natsume stared at her.

"I mean, surely you must have a home or something," Mikan said.

Natsume walked out.

"Hey retard! Come back in here!" Mikan said.

But Natsume didn't listen. He locked the door to his room instead.

**Fast Forward to Day of Exams...**

Many students were doing last-minute reviews. Mikan, meanwhile, was panicking.

"Don't worry about it, Mikan-chan. You'll pass," Nonoko said.

"Yeah; you even managed to finish your homework, right?" Anna asked.

"Natsume did the math," Mikan replied.

"Figures. After all, you're an idiot," Hotaru said.

(A/N: Now that I think about it; I forgot to place Ruka )) But don't worry! Since I remembered, he'll be coming...SOON :D)

"Hotaruuuu!" Mikan whined.

"Shut up," Hotaru said.

"Okay class; settle down," Narumi said.

Mikan constantly banged her head on her desk.

"Mi—Mikan-chan," Nonoko said.

"Must...pass...test..." Mikan said.

Hotaru held a sign that said: "DESPERATE TO PASS THE EXAMS" with an arrow pointing towards Mikan. Narumi sighed and began distributing the test papers.

_Here goes nothing,_ Mikan thought.

**After Exams...**

"I survived! Yay!" Mikan cheered.

"So anyway, do you guys want to go somewhere over the break?" Nonoko asked.

"Sure," Mikan replied, "Where to?"

"Why don't we go to that resort your family owns, Hotaru-chan?" Anna asked.

"Yeah!" Mikan agreed.

"That would depend," Hotaru said.

"Ne, you should bring Natsume along!" Nonoko suggested.

Mikan turned red.

"NANI?! But why?!" Mikan asked.

"Oh...Nothing," Anna said.

"...Since when did the both of you become fangirls?" Mikan asked.

"Oh no; we're not fangirls," Anna and Nonoko said at the same time, "We just want to get to know our future classmate better."

"...Where did you hear that?" Mikan asked.

"Ano...Rumors," Nonoko said.

"How do those rumors start anyway?" Mikan asked, "But anyway, fine; I'll bring him along...Why don't you just invite the whole class?"

"...That will cost me my allowance," Hotaru said, "But whatever."

"Arigatou, Hotaru-chan!" Mikan squealed.

"I'm home!" Mikan announced, "Okaa-chan, where's Natsume?"

"He's down at the library. He's quite a studious kid, isn't he?" Yuka said.

"I think he's just finding some quiet place," Mikan said.

"Anyway, can you run to the shop and grab some coffee?" Yuka asked.

"Sure okaa-chan," Mikan said.

**Mikan's POV**

Of course, I got what my okaa-chan asked. In fact, I was already walking home. I wonder if Natsume's already home. The library closes at around 5:30...But anyway.

I'm really nervous about the results for the exams. I guess I'll be praying on a daily basis for good results-- Ouch. Who was the jerk that hit me?

"Gomen," The person said. It seemed as if he was a boy. And his voice was quite familiar to me.

I looked up and saw his features; blonde hair, blue eyes. Wait a minute... He looks AND sounds familiar to me. Could it be...

"RUKA-PYON?! YOU'RE BACK?!"

"That took you around 10 minutes," Ruka said.

Oh my...

**End of POV and Chapter 3**

**Author's Notes: **Yay! I finished this! Yehey! ...I'm trying to update Center of Attention. But it seems as if nothing's coming. But anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. :) Please review :)


	4. Thunder

_Ouch. Who was the jerk that hit me?_

_"Gomen," The person said. It seemed as if he was a boy. And his voice was quite familiar to me._

_I looked up and saw his features; blonde hair, blue eyes. Wait a minute... He looks AND sounds familiar to me. Could it be..._

_"RUKA-PYON?! YOU'RE BACK?!"_

_"That took you around 10 minutes," Ruka said._

_Oh my..._

_**Dream Prince**_

**Chapter 4**

"I thought you were going to be in France for the rest of your life!" Mikan said.

"Gomen for the surprise visit. Well, I'm actually here to stay...for good. I didn't really like France that much. I guess it was never the place for me," Ruka said.

"Say...Would you like to come to the beach party thing next week? It's going to be in the Imai's resort," Mikan said, "You still remember Hotaru, right?"

Ruka just sweatdropped as his humiliating days of being blackmailed flashed in front of him again. Big mistake, Ruka-pyon. Your peaceful days are over.

"Okaa-chan! Guess who I brought with me today," Mikan said.

"Oh my...Ruka-kun, you've grown," Yuka said, "You could eat dinner with us tonight or something."

"Actually, I'm looking for a place to stay," Ruka said.

"You don't have enough money for a hotel?" Yuka asked.

"My father was the only one who gave me pocket money. My mother was too angry to at least give me money," Ruka replied.

"Ah...We've got our hands quite full for now. But you can stay with us until you've found some place to live in. Or you could go to the Imai's mansion; they've got a lot of room there," Yuka said.

"I'd rather stay here," Ruka said.

"But Hotaru-chan would love to have company!" Yuka said.

"I'll have to agree with okaa-chan," Mikan said.

"Now, we only need Natsume's vote," Yuka said.

"Natsume?" Ruka asked.

"We forgot to tell you. There's this boy about your age who lives with us now. He asked if he could stay with us. So...he practically owns the guest room now. So, I guess Natsume will be sleeping in the same room as Mikan-chan's for now. Your stay here will be temporary only, right?" Yuka asked.

"Yes," Ruka replied.

"Well, we've got to call Hotaru-chan. She'd love to let you stay over," Yuka said.

Obviously, Hotaru had her reasons of having Ruka in her house. And obviously, Ruka dreaded it.

"Who's that?" Natsume asked Mikan.

"He's Ruka-pyon, a friend of mine. He went to France and came back just this afternoon. So you haven't seen him yet," Mikan said.

"He's going to stay here?" Natsume asked (A/N: They aren't best friends here. I mean...duh. Ruka just appeared.)

"Of course he is! Well, not unless if he wants to go stay with Hotaru-chan," Mikan said.

"Hmm...So Ruka-kun is staying over for one night; which means Mikan and Natsume will have to share a room. Then, Hotaru-chan is going to pick him up tomorrow," Yuka said.

"NANI?!" Mikan screamed.

"So where do I sleep?" Natsume asked.

"It's up to you," Mikan replied.

Natsume just dropped his sleeping bag and lay down. It took Yuka a lot just to convince Mikan to let Natsume sleep in her room.

_Flashback_

"Okaa-chan!! Why? Why? Why?" Mikan asked.

"We can't let Natsume-kun sleep outside, can we?" Yuka replied.

"Actually we can," Mikan said.

"But feel sorry for that guy, Mikan! Don't you have a heart?" Yuka asked.

"I do but...not for perverted molesters who suddenly attack you and tell you that they've seen your underwear!" Mikan replied.

"But didn't he do your Math homework?" Yuka asked.

"I don't care..." Mikan replied.

"It's just one night, isn't it?" Natsume said.

"N-Na-Natsume!" Mikan said.

"Isn't it, Mikan?" Natsume asked.

Mikan's heart raced at the distance of their faces. She could very well see Natsume's eyes and she swore they were TOO close. And the way he said her name, it successfully distracted her.

"Y-Ye-Yes...It's just one night, but still..." Mikan said.

She knew that he wouldn't stop torturing her unless she let him sleep in her room.

"Fine..." Mikan said as she pushed him away.

_End of Flashback_

Natsume was so thankful that Mikan was stupid enough not to think that he was strange...Well at least he thought. It was strange that he couldn't read this stupid girl's mind. It really pissed him off. What also made him wonder was that the necklace Aoi gave him wouldn't stop glowing whenever she was around. It was so weird. Of all the people, why her?

Suddenly, the lights and electric fan turned off. Then, thunder boomed/roared (A/N: Whatever sound it makes...) outside.

"KYAAAA!!" Mikan screamed and literally jumped off the bed, which made her land on Natsume.

"Natsume? Are you there?" Mikan asked.

"Get off me, idiot," Natsume replied.

"AAAAH!! Gomen ne," Mikan said.

"It seems that you're in a paranoid state," Natsume said.

"Can you keep a secret?" Mikan asked.

"Hn."

"I'm scared of thunder," Mikan said.

"Typical," Natsume said.

"Hmph. KYAAAA!!" Mikan screamed again once she heard the thunder that came from outside.

Then she suddenly felt someone's arms make her face their way. Well, obviously it was Natsume since there was no one else in the room.

"Stop screaming. It's stupid to be screaming all because of thunder...Idiot," Natsume said.

Mikan just looked at him. Her eyes had become accustomed to the darkness but his red eyes really stood out from the darkness. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled.

"Okay," Mikan said, "You know, you seem like this long-lost brother of mine. Can I call you onii-chan?"

"Whatever," Natsume said.

"Natsume-niichan," Mikan said.

"What?" Natsume asked.

"Nothing. Say, do you have a sister?" Mikan asked.

"Yeah...Someone's who's an idiot like you too. But then, you're more of an idiot than her," Natsume said.

"Meanie," Mikan said.

Then, Mikan suddenly began to feel sleepy. She was still in Natsume's arms as she slept peacefully.

"What an idiot," Natsume said as he began to fall asleep.

**End of Chapter 4**

Author's Notes: Yes, I know. My updates are so effin' slow. : It pisses me off too, you know. But I try my best to think fast but I guess I have always been slow. Sorry. :( It's just that my best ideas come at the last minute. (Right, Louise? ;) Trust me; I made her cram with me for my story which I needed to submit to my teacher with illustrations.) Anyway, I do hope you guys are patient enough to bear with these sloooow...updates:) Again, sorry for the very late update. I hope you guys review. :)


	5. Aoi

_Then, Mikan suddenly began to feel sleepy. She was still in Natsume's arms as she slept peacefully. _

_"What an idiot," Natsume said as he began to fall asleep._

**Dream Prince**

**Chapter 5**

_Wednesday; 7 am; Sakura residence_

"This is the Sakura residence. Who's this?" Yuka asked the caller.

"Ah...Yuka-san, this is Hotaru. May I speak with Mikan?" Hotaru asked.

"I'll see if she's awake," Yuka replied.

"Mikan-chan, phone!" Yuka called.

"The baka's still asleep," Natsume said and then yawned.

"I see," Yuka said, "Mikan's still asleep. Would you want to leave a message or something?"

"Just tell her that I called about the beach outing on Friday. Oh...And I'm coming at around 10:30 to pick Ruka up," Hotaru said, "Bye Yuka-san."

"Bye Hotaru-chan," Yuka said.

_Wednesday; 9:30 am; Sakura residence_

"You haven't prepared yourself yet, Ruka-kun? Oh my...You're going to get into a lot of trouble if you're going to make Hotaru-chan wait," Yuka said.

"When is she picking me up?" Ruka asked groggily.

He just woke up, actually.

"Around 10:30...But Hotaru-chan always comes 30 minutes earlier, right?" Yuka said.

Images of blackmail pictures being spread around the neighborhood filled Ruka's mind.

"SHIT!" Ruka cursed as he dashed off to the bathroom to quickly prepare himself.

_Wednesday; 10 am; Sakura residence_

A car parked in front of the house. Obviously, it was Hotaru. Mikan was still fast asleep. Ruka was still changing and Natsume...was reading manga. It was a typical day at the Sakura residence until the doorbell rang.

"Coming!" Yuka said.

Ruka just came out when Hotaru came in.

"Just get in the damn car. Where's Mikan?" Hotaru asked.

"Still asleep," Yuka said.

Ruka got his stuff and evacuated the place.

"What time did that baka sleep anyway?" Hotaru said.

"I don't know. Pretty late I guess; because of the thunderstorm last night. You know her, scared of thunder and all," Yuka said.

Mikan then came out of her room.

"Okaa-chan, where's breakfast?" Mikan asked.

"It's on the table, dear. And by the way, it's already 10 am," Yuka replied.

"Oi baka. It's already 10 am. No time to be lazy," Hotaru said.

"HOTARU-CHAN!" Mikan squealed once she heard Hotaru.

Natsume then came down from the roof.

"Ahh... It's the infamous Natsume Hyuuga, eh?" Hotaru said.

"Tch." was Natsume's reply.

"Baka, are you coming to the beach thing on Friday?" Hotaru asked.

"Of course!! Natsume will come too, right?" Mikan replied.

"Whatever," Natsume replied.

_Friday; 6 am; Sakura residence_

The alarm clock in Mikan's room rang but Mikan pressed the snooze button lazily and began to doze off again.

"Stupid alarm clock torturing me," Mikan mumbled.

"Oi baka, wake up," Natsume said once he entered Mikan's room.

Mikan woke up.

"Who the hell told you to come in here without my permission?" Mikan screamed.

"I see. So we're not going to that beach...whatever-it-is," Natsume said.

Mikan looked at her clock.

"Oh...Ugh...Why does 6 am come by so fast?" Mikan said.

She rubbed her eyes sleepily as she took her towel and headed straight for the bathroom.

_A few minutes later..._

"I'll sleep while waiting," Mikan said.

They were in the living room, waiting for Hotaru to appear and pick them up. After Mikan just said that she was going to sleep, she immediately fell asleep and unconsciously rested her head on Natsume's shoulder. Natsume, who was reading his manga at that time just looked at the sleeping brunette and a really tiny smile appeared on his face.

_DINGDONG!_

Yuka opened the door and saw a girl around Natsume and Mikan's age but a little bit younger...around one year.

"Aoi?!" Natsume said.

Mikan woke up. Yuka just stared at the siblings and Aoi just kept on smiling.

"Hello onii-chan! Okaa-sama told me to come here to the--" But before Aoi could finish, Natsume covered her mouth.

"Don't mention anything about our world, got it? They know nothing about where we live and it will stay like that," Natsume whispered.

"But nii-chan, don't you think Mikan-nee here should know?" Aoi said.

"And why is that?" Natsume asked.

"Obviously, we've been watching you around Mikan-nee. And the necklace glows when she's around," Aoi replied.

"Why are you even here in the first place?" Natsume asked.

"Well, I wanted to see Mikan-nee in person," Aoi said, "Speaking of which, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name's Aoi Hyuuga, sister of Natsume Hyuuga."

"Ne Aoi-chan, where do you live?" Mikan asked.

"Nii-chan told me to keep it a secret so I'm sorry but I can't tell you," Aoi replied with a smile.

"So, you're going to live here too?" Yuka asked.

"Pretty much. You have a nice house here Yuka-san," Aoi said.

"How do you know our names?" Yuka asked.

"Let's just say I'm what they call...well-informed," Aoi said.

The doorbell rang once again and in came Hotaru.

"Oh. Who's this?" Hotaru asked.

"Your name is Hotaru Imai, am I correct? My name's Aoi Hyuuga, pleased to meet you," Aoi said.

"And by your surname I'm guessing that you and Hyuuga here are siblings?" Hotaru said.

"You got that right!" Aoi said and then smiled.

"Can she go with us to the beach then, Hotaru-chan? Onegai?" Mikan pleaded.

"Whatever. I don't really care," Hotaru said.

"Alright then. Let's go!!" Mikan screamed as the four got in the car.

**Author's Notes:** Waaaa...It feels weird to end this chapter like this. Anyway, coming up next is the beach trip chapter :) I thought that if I placed the beach trip here, it might be too long and I still need to think about it. Argh. I'm kind of idealess right now. So yeah. And by the way, since school's coming up, I'll be updating even slower. I know...sorry guys! :( But I'll try my best to update, alright? Reviews please :) They encourage me. :D. So far, I think this is the suckiest chapter. : Agh. :)) But I hope you guys liked this sucky chapter. :)) By the way, about how Aoi knew Hotaru's name, it'll be explained later in the story. :)


	6. Beach Trip Part 1

_"Your name is Hotaru Imai, am I correct? My name's Aoi Hyuuga, pleased to meet you," Aoi said._

_"And by your surname I'm guessing that you and Hyuuga here are siblings?" Hotaru said._

_"You got that right!" Aoi said and then smiled._

_"Can she go with us to the beach then, Hotaru-chan? Onegai?" Mikan pleaded._

_"Whatever. I don't really care," Hotaru said._

_"Alright then. Let's go!!" Mikan screamed as the four got in the car._

**Dream Prince**

**Chapter 6**

It was quite a long ride to the beach, which made most of the people who went impatient. Besides Hotaru, Ruka, Natsume, Mikan, and Aoi, more people came from Mikan's class; namely Koko, Mochu, Sumire, Anna, Nonoko, Yuu, and Youichi tagged along too. Youichi is actually Hotaru's kouhai in the Photography Club (A/N: Yup. Photography :)) Yo-chan is a money hungry person here. :) ) and he will become president of the Photography Club once Hotaru graduates.

Meanwhile, while they were in the car, Mikan was fully energized and bickering on. Natsume was covering his ears, because of Mikan's constant bickering. Ruka was laughing at Natsume's reaction. Hotaru took a lot of pictures, especially pictures of Ruka. Ruka noticed it and threatened to destroy Hotaru's camera. But of course, Hotaru's camera wasn't so easy to destroy. Mikan continued to talk and Anna and Nonoko eagerly listened. Of course, Sumire, with her proud nature, sometimes butted in and objected to some of Mikan's opinions, which resulted into a fight. Youichi was calmly reading a magazine while Koko and Mochu were laughing at some kind of movie they were watching on the portable DVD player. Yuu just slept since he found all of it boring and Aoi continued on smiling. Thus, resulting into complete chaos.

By the way, they were riding in a van, courtesy of Hotaru's family, which was driven by one of their chauffeurs of course. Well, the chaotic environment lasted for hours until...

"WE'RE HERE!" Mikan screamed.

"I survived," The chauffer mumbled. Poor him; having to hear that much noise while driving.

"Shut up, baka," Hotaru said.

Aoi stood with her mouth wide open.

"Wow... I want to swim!" Aoi said, "But I forgot my bathing suit at home. (A/N: As in her world.)"

"You could buy one at the gift shop," Hotaru said.

"Arigatou, Imai-san!" Aoi said, "Can I call you Hotaru-nee?"

"Whatever," Hotaru said.

"Hotaru-nee, where's the gift shop?" Aoi asked.

"Ask that baka. She knows," Hotaru replied while pointing to Mikan.

"Mikan-nee, can you show me where the gift shop is?" Aoi asked.

"Sure, Aoi-chan. I can even help you pick a swimsuit if you want," Mikan said.

"Arigatou, Mikan-nee," Aoi said.

"No problem," Mikan said and then smiled.

_Fast Forward the Shopping Trip and Play at the Room Assignment Part :)_

"Okay...I've got the room assignments here. A boy and a girl shares one room. I don't know why but that baka computer randomly picked the names and immediately sent them to Reservations so I had no time to change them. Stupid computer," Hotaru said.

**Room Assignments:**

**Room 301- Mikan Sakura, Natsume Hyuuga**

**Room 302- Hotaru Imai, Ruka Nogi**

**Room 303- Sumire Shouda, Mochu ( ) (A/N: I don't know what his last name is. I checked Wikipedia and nothing:)) )**

**Room 304- Anna Umenomiya, Yome Kokoro**

**Room 305- Nonoko Ogasawara, Yuu Tobita**

**Room 306- Aoi Hyuuga, Youichi Hijiri**

"Ne, Hotaru-chan, if you sent this days ago, why is Aoi's name here?" Mikan asked.

"Didn't you notice I just added that since it's written in pen? After all, Youichi doesn't have a room mate," Hotaru said.

"I see," Mikan replied, "Let's all go swimming?"

(A/N: The room assignments aren't all the pairings in this fic. Aoi and Youichi are not going to be a pair while the rest are the pairings.)

Hotaru was walking around the beach, since she apparently couldn't swim. And looks like a blonde boy who just came back saw her walking around.

"Still don't know how to swim, huh?" Ruka asked.

Hotaru glared at Ruka.

"Please. Don't you dare remind me," Hotaru replied.

Ruka just laughed.

"It's nothing you have to be embarrassed about," Ruka said.

"Mind your own business," Hotaru said.

"Reminds me, remember that day?" Ruka asked.

"Shut up. Who in the world would ever forget their first kiss. I still don't forgive you," Hotaru replied and then glared at Ruka.

_Flashback_

It was a normal day...Well, you could consider Ruka chasing Hotaru around for his pictures normal. Of course you could. Well, they were in some place when Ruka accidentally tripped on something, and he fell on Hotaru. But not only that. He could feel something soft under his lips. Honestly, the ground can't be soft, right?

He looked at Hotaru and suddenly realized something. He had accidentally stolen Hotaru's first kiss. Ruka immediately got off Hotaru. But as soon as they got up, Hotaru slapped him.

"You idiot. Watch where you're going. And be more careful next time," Hotaru said and then glared at him.

But Ruka felt odd though. It was as if he had those stupid butterflies in his stomach.

_"_What the hell is wrong with me?!" He asked himself out loud.

Hotaru looked at him in a weird way and gave a tiny smile. And when she was out of sight, she laughed.

_End of Flashback_

_"_You still make me feel weird, Imai," Ruka said.

"Come on. We've known each other since we were kids and you still keep on calling me Imai?" Hotaru said.

"Hotaru then," Ruka said, "Happy?"

"I still don't forgive you, idiot," Hotaru said and then she suddenly smiled a really tiny smile.

"I haven't seen that since then," Ruka said.

"Obviously because you were in France, you idiot," Hotaru replied.

"You really should smile often," Ruka said.

"And what if I don't want to?" Hotaru asked.

Ruka just grabbed her and kissed her as if he was some kind of kissing monster. But Hotaru pushed him away.

"You freak!" Hotaru screamed at him.

Her face obviously spoke the opposite. It was as red as a tomato and she was just overwhelmed; she was so overwhelmed that the butterflies in her stomach wouldn't disappear.

**Author's Notes**: This chapter is dedicated to all the HotaruxRuka fans out there XD I'm one too actually. But not as much as Natsume and Mikan. Wee! :)) This is quite long. It reached four pages in Open Office but I think it's only because of the stupid spacing that won't become single. Alright. I have a life too so I'm not always online. Well, it's more of almost always but whatever. And yeah. 2 updates in 2 days! I'm so happy with this record XD :)) Send your reviews, alright? They encourage me so much. :) The part about Natsume's world and all that is kind of far away as of now. Or maybe near. I don't know. It depends on how my mind will think. Haha. :)) But I swear, I wouldn't want to discontinue this. So far, this is my favorite among my stories :)) Remember, reviews! :) :D

With all her stupidity,

Ayumi Kurosawa :)


	7. Confessions and Discoveries

Just a little note :)

_Just a little note :)_

Thank you to all the supporters of this fic! I love you all! :)) Thank you also to the staff of **GaKuEn aLiCe: KiRa KiRa MeMorY Kiss **for adding this to their archive XD Thank you also to those who have added this to their favorites, or put this on story alert. And thank you to those who have added me in their favorite authors list and to those who have put me on author alert too. And of course, thank you to everyone who has reviewed.

**Disclaimer: Alright. I know I don't own Gakuen Alice. Isn't that obvious already? Dude, can I just mention this once? It's tiring you know. On with the story :)**

___Ruka just kissed grabbed her and kissed her as if he was some kind of kissing monster. But Hotaru pushed him away._

_"You freak!" Hotaru screamed at him._

_Her face obviously spoke the opposite. It was as red as a tomato and she was just overwhelmed; she was so overwhelmed that the butterflies in her stomach wouldn't disappear._

**Dream Prince**

**Chapter 7**

Back to the others, Natsume was reading manga, again. Mikan was dragging him and telling him to swim, but it was obvious that Natsume didn't want to.

"Could you just stop bugging me you no-good, noisy, clumsy idiot?" Natsume said.

"But Natsume, you're supposed to be swimming in a beach. Not reading your stupid manga," Mikan said.

"And what if I don't want to?" Natsume said.

"Come on… You lazy retard," Mikan said.

"No."

"Hmph."

Mikan sat beside him and tried to peek at his manga.

"Why are you even addicted to manga anyway?" Mikan asked.

"None of your business," Natsume replied.

Mikan just continued to stare.

"Oh…What a surprise! Mikan-chan's here!" A familiar voice said.

Mikan turned to see her senpais, Misaki and Tsubasa. (A/N: I'm going to use both senpai and sempai in my story. It changes with my mood.)

"Tsubasa-sempai!" Mikan said and ran towards him to hug him.

"Who is that guy?" Tsubasa asked.

"That's Natsume. And he doesn't want to swim. So I decided to stay by his side and not swim too because I think he's going to become lonely. I've been trying to convince him but nothing…" Mikan said.

"Aw. That's cute, Mikan-chan. But I don't think he would want you to stay with him. I mean, you're not his slave or anything, right? So you're practically free to swim," Misaki said.

"But I don't want to. It wouldn't be as fun as it should be if Natsume doesn't swim with the rest of us!" Mikan said.

"Look at who's growing up. Say, do you have a crush on him or something?" Tsubasa asked.

Mikan's eyes widened.

"Not at all! He's practically like an onii-chan to me," Mikan said.

"Aw. That sucks. And I thought I had the title of 'onii-chan' in your life," Tsubasa said.

Misaki just hit his head with some random baseball bat that was lying around.

"Grow up, Tsubasa," Misaki said.

"Hai hai," Tsubasa replied in fear that he might get hit again.

"Anyway, we'll be going now Mikan-chan. But I'm sure we're going to see each other around. Send my regards to Hotaru-chan. By the way, I heard that Ruka-kun came back," Misaki said.

"Yup. Ruka-pyon really is back," Mikan said.

"By the way, I think you'll manage to let him swim by the end of the day," Misaki whispered.

Mikan just raised one of her eyebrows and laughed.

"Arigatou for the encouragement Misaki-sempai," Mikan said.

"Oi, baka. I'm hungry. Where can we get food?" Natsume asked.

"Lunch isn't ready until after a few minutes," Mikan replied.

"Hn. You are really useless," Natsume said.

"Whatever," Mikan said and then glared at him.

"Actually you could have eaten your lunch any moment," Hotaru said.

"Hotaru-chan! You're back!!" Mikan said.

"Well, looks like everyone's hungry," Hotaru said as she looked at their companions who had just stopped swimming.

"Ne, Hotaru-chan, why does your face seem…reddish?" Mikan asked.

The others were hiding their giggles and looking at Ruka while Mikan just stared at them.

"What are you guys laughing about?" Mikan asked.

The group motioned Mikan to come near them.

_Whisper whisper whisper._

"Nani?!" Mikan screamed.

The others evilly laughed and the Ice Queen just gave them a strange look.

"Ne, Hotaru-chan, you never told me you liked Ruka-pyon," Mikan said.

Ruka just laughed while the others laughed too and the Ice Queen was about to blow up, if it weren't for her reputation. Even Natsume was smirking.

"But Ruka-pyon, do you like Hotaru-chan?" Mikan asked.

_So she clarified it?! _Ruka thought, _Shit._

Aoi laughed as if she had just read Ruka's mind. Natsume was about to giggle since it was as if he had read Ruka's mind too. (A/N: This mind-reading thing's got something to do with their world. I'll explain later in the story. :) Just wait guys. ;) )

"We want an answer!" The rest of the gang said, except Youichi of course. He had just been staring at his Hotaru-sempai weirdly.

Ruka turned red.

"O…m…g…" Anna and Nonoko said at the same time.

"Ruka-kun likes Imai-san?!" Sumire announced, wide-eyed.

Mikan looked at Ruka. Oh well, goodbye to that little crush she had always had. It was only little but still. It was a crush after all. She always knew in her heart that it was never meant to be. But it wasn't exactly prohibited right? So she smiled. She was completely happy for her best friend and she forgot about those feelings in an instant.

"Congratulations the both of you," Mikan said.

"What?!" The 2 screamed.

"I mean, the both of you like each other," Mikan said.

They both turned red once they heard this. (A/N: The part about Natsume's world is getting nearer and nearer every chapter I tell you! I want to write it too you know. But I can't seem to insert it :)) Oh well. )

"Well, I'm hungry! Let's go eat lunch!!" Mikan screamed.

"Uhh…Yeah…Let's go," Hotaru said uneasily.

Of course, Natsume never swam. Mikan was just there, watching her friends, since she thought Natsume was going to get lonely.

"Hey Natsume," Mikan said.

"What?" Natsume asked.

"You know, now that I think of it, I never thanked you about that incident with the thunderstorms. So thank you," Mikan said and then smiled.

It was a smile that dazzled him. Sure, he got smiled at often but Mikan's smile was somehow different. He noticed since he knew his cheeks were becoming warm.

"Whatever," Natsume said while hiding his face with his manga.

(A/N: I'm going to love writing this part XD. Find out why :) )

Mikan was bored in her room since Natsume took off for a walk around the resort... again. The TV shows were all boring and she didn't want this event to end like this. So she decided to walk around to enjoy the view.

She got out of her room and locked it with her key.

"Want to join us for Truth or Dare, Mikan-chan?" Anna asked.

"No thanks," Mikan said, "I'm going to take a walk."

She went around the resort for a few times and decided to go and sit down on the sand until she saw some light coming from the beach. She hid behind a tree and looked at what it was.

It was a boy whose hair looked very familiar to her. And it seemed as if fire was dancing on the water. Mikan stood there wide-eyed. She looked at his hands and it seemed as if he was the one controlling the fire. It was different from any magic trick he had seen. It was amazing. He had to find out who it was. Then, the boy turned towards the tree as if he had sensed Mikan's presence. Mikan looked at the boy's features. It was the red eyes she had been seeing for days now.

It was Natsume.

**Author's Notes:** Oh my god. I loved writing that last part XD Now, Mikan's got her suspicions about him. :)) Mikan is not as dense as she originally is. So yeah. I need reviews everyone. This is my personal fave so far. XD

With all her stupidity,

Ayumi Kurosawa


	8. Awkward Situations

_It was a boy whose hair looked very familiar to her. And it seemed as if fire was dancing on the water. Mikan stood there wide-eyed. She looked at his hands and it seemed as if he was the one controlling the fire. It was different from any magic trick she had seen. It was amazing. She had to find out who it was. Then, the boy turned towards the tree as if he had sensed Mikan's presence. Mikan looked at the boy's features. It was the red eyes she had been seeing for days now._

_It was Natsume._

**Dream Prince**

**Chapter 8**

**(Mikan's POV)**

The scene that I had witnessed at that time on the beach still bugged me until now. I knew he was different. I was certain of it. I thought I knew him somehow; but the more I discover about him, it seemed as if he was becoming more of a stranger. Just who is he? Damn it. I really want to know. And why does he have to hide his identity? And where did he really come from. And lastly, how did he do that? I wanted to ask him these questions but it seemed as if he was avoiding me. I don't know why. He is the weirdest guy I have ever met.

**(End of POV)**

_Flashback_

Mikan looked at him and quickly ran away. She had passed by Aoi who had asked her what had happened.

"Mikan-nee, why are you running so fast?" Aoi asked.

"Seriously, I don't know," Mikan replied and quickly ran away.

"Natsume-niichan!" Aoi called, "I know you're there. Now, explain."

Natsume came out of the tree where he was hiding behind. He had run towards Mikan, but when he got there, she was gone.

"I was just using my powers. God, is there anything wrong with that?" Natsume asked.

"If we were not in the mortal world, there's nothing wrong with it but Natsume-nii, do remember we're not royalty here. We're just normal people who moved to this town who are trying to fit in. So please don't blow our cover, alright? Now, do you think Mikan-nee will keep quiet about it?" Aoi asked.

"I don't think anyone would believe her otherwise," Natsume replied, "And I'll make her shut up about it."

"But how, Natsume-nii??" Aoi asked, obviously impatient for an answer.

"Well, I guess we'll have to trust that crazy idiot," Natsume said.

"But she saw you, Natsume-nii! She SAW you using your powers. I'm not bragging or anything, but I think I need to teach you a lesson on how to not blow your cover," Aoi said, "And to think I'm the younger sister. Why did you have to use it anyway?"

"Because I feel as if my strength is draining around her. I don't feel normal. It's weird. It's as if my powers go kaput," Natsume said, "So I used my powers, just to clarify that they aren't gone."

"Then, stay away from her…Simple as that," Aoi said.

"Oh. Thank you for your 'magical' advice, oh-wise-one," Natsume said, sarcastically.

"Shut up," Aoi said, "Well, I'm going to sleep now."

_End of Flashback_

"Aoi-chan, where's your brother?" Mikan asked, "We'll be late for school."

"Still asleep, Mikan-nee," Aoi replied.

"Well then, another tardy on my record will practically kill me, so let's go and leave that lazy ass behind," Mikan said.

Then, as if on cue, Natsume went out, all dressed up…of course, in a quite rebellious manner.

"Oi. Aho, you forgot your lunch," Natsume said to Mikan.

"I can survive a day without lunch you know," Mikan said.

"I don't think so…" Natsume said.

"Oh come on. We're going to be late. Bye okaa-chan!" Mikan said.

Yuka waved bye as Mikan practically dragged Natsume to school. (A/N: Normally, it's the opposite but Natsume's being a lazy bum! :)))

"Can't you be any faster? I'll be dead if I arrive late again," Mikan said.

Natsume looked at her as if what she had said were no big deal.

"Close your eyes…And open them when I say so," Natsume said.

"But why?" Mikan asked.

"Just close them," Natsume insisted.

Mikan obeyed as Natsume ran really fast while carrying her and arrived at their school in about 10 seconds (A/N: Fast XD)

"Open your eyes, idiot," Natsume said.

Mikan opened her eyes and saw they were on the school grounds.

"Okay…So you just ask people around where the principal's office is because I really have to go," Mikan said.

**(Mikan's POV)**

Well, at least we talked. Thank God for that. I ran towards my classroom anyway and saw that everyone was quite shocked that I actually arrived early.

"That's odd. You aren't late," Hotaru said.

"Yeah…" I replied.

"Natsume's coming today right?" Nonoko asked.

"Yeah. He's looking for the principal's office since I'm practically going to die if I'm late," I replied.

The bell rang, signaling the beginning of Homeroom.

"Oh. That's odd. Mikan's early," Narumi said, "Anyway, we have two new students coming in today. Well, actually, the other just came back. Of course everyone knows Ruka. But our other new student is Natsume Hyuuga. Please introduce yourselves."

Ruka introduced himself like he was told but Natsume just glared at Narumi when he asked Natsume to introduce himself.

"Well, it seems that Natsume doesn't want to introduce himself. Anyway, since there's a teacher's meeting I have to attend, I'll have to go. And oh yeah, due to specific orders, Mikan is the one who's assigned to show Natsume around," Narumi said.

The only available seat was the one beside Mikan. Natsume glared at her and Mikan stared at him innocently.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Since that's the only seat that's available, you sit on it…duh," Mikan said, "Sorry. I'm in a bad mood."

Natsume just stared at her and sat down.

Mikan stared back, thinking, _'What is wrong with him?'_

_Fast Forward to Lunch Time XD_

(Because classes are boring wink wink)

"Onii-chan, how was class?" Aoi asked.

"Boring," Natsume replied.

"Looks like you have made a fan club," Aoi said.

"I don't really care," Natsume said.

"But I wonder, nii-chan, why do you stare at Mikan-nee every time?" Aoi asked.

"What? I don't," Natsume replied.

"Yes you do…" Aoi said and then smirked. Looks like the smirking is in the genes.

Mikan arrived at the table and looked at the siblings and Aoi smiled sweetly.

"Well Aoi, how was your first day?" Mikan asked.

"It's fine so far," Aoi replied.

Mikan looked around to see guys drooling at Aoi. But Natsume glared at them all, being the overprotective brother he is. Aoi chuckled at this. Her brother was overprotective by nature.

"It's not as if I'm going to like any of them," Aoi said.

"Hn."

"Well if you want some privacy you could eat on the school grounds," Mikan said.

Natsume just stared at her.

(Mikan's POV)

He is so silent. He's been really quiet ever since that day in the beach. It's bugging me. Maybe I shouldn't have been so nosy. Maybe I should have just stayed in our room. Maybe I shouldn't have stared at him that night. What is wrong with him?! It makes me want to scream. Couldn't he just say a word? The silence is practically killing me. And the way he stares at me is so intense. It's as if I did something wrong. Ack. He's making me feel guilty but at the same time worried and curious too. Just who is he? How did he do that? Is he alright? Was I not supposed to see that?

(End of Mikan's POV)

Author's Notes: Okay. Done with Chapter Eight. So excited to write Chapter 9. I'm going to be revealing some stuff there. Anyway, reviews please and thank you in advance to those who will review. :)


	9. Partners

He is so silent

_He is so silent. He's been really quiet ever since that day in the beach. It's bugging me. Maybe I shouldn't have been so nosy. Maybe I should have just stayed in our room. Maybe I shouldn't have stared at him that night. What is wrong with him?! It makes me want to scream. Couldn't he just say a word? The silence is practically killing me. And the way he stares at me is so intense. It's as if I did something wrong. Ack. He's making me feel guilty but at the same time worried and curious too. Just who is he? How did he do that? Is he alright? Was I not supposed to see that?_

**Dream Prince**

**Chapter 9**

(Mikan's POV)

Okay. Maybe I am getting paranoid. Perhaps I should go away from him? I don't know. This sucks. And the fact that we live in the same house sucks too. I mean, every time I look at him, he gives me this unfriendly glare and looks away. It bugs me.

"Oh well, I'm going to take a walk. You do know your way back to the classroom, right Natsume?" I asked.

"Yeah," He bluntly replied.

I seriously needed a walk to relax myself.

"Mikan-nee," Someone called.

I turned to see Aoi.

"Hello there, Aoi-chan," I said.

"Do you think my brother's weird?" Aoi asked.

"Umm…No. But the fact that he doesn't even talk to me is weird though," I replied.

"Well, onii-chan can be anti-social so don't mind it alright? Somehow, in the end, I've got this feeling that things are going to end up okay," Aoi said and smiled.

"Thank you for the encouragement, Aoi," Mikan said.

"No problem at all, Mikan-nee," Aoi said.

I do hope what Aoi said is true.

(End of Mikan's POV)

Days passed by quickly and it was almost Christmas. Their lives took the same boring routine until Narumi announced something in class.

"Okay. So the principal had told us in our recent teacher's meeting that the seniors will be having some kind of Christmas Ball. Everyone's required to attend and have a partner. The partner can be anyone of the opposite gender, any age. It doesn't really matter. Just bring a partner," Narumi said.

The bell rang.

"Alright. Class dismissed," Narumi said.

Mikan looked at Natsume, who was flocked by fangirls at that moment asking him to the Christmas Ball. Aoi was waiting outside the door for his brother.

"Ne, Mikan-nee, let's walk home all together! You, me and onii-chan," Aoi said.

It seemed as if there was something brewing in Aoi's mind, judging from that weird smile on her face.

"Sure," Mikan said.

Aoi dragged the two outside of the school gates.

"That was to ensure that you guys wouldn't escape," Aoi said, "I know there's something wrong between you guys and I want you to solve it. It just bugs me to think that two people who are close to me are not at peace now. Don't be such stubborn idiots."

Neither Mikan nor Natsume would speak.

"Fine then. If that's how you want it, you guys will have to go to the Christmas Ball together as partners. You won't make me cry, won't you nii-chan?" Aoi said.

"Hell, I'm not going with an idiot," Natsume said.

"But hey, you're required to have a partner. Besides, if you don't obey, I won't have Youichi as my partner if you guys won't be partners, alright? I'll be partners with another guy," Aoi said.

And that activated Natsume's brother complex.

"…Tch. Fine," Natsume said.

Mikan looked at him in horror. He couldn't have agreed, could he?

(Mikan's POV)

Why did he agree? I thought he hated me! What is wrong with this person? He can be really…weird. But maybe that's why I feel…attracted to him in a way. Oh wait. That didn't come out right. I just find Natsume…interesting. Yep. That's the word. Interesting.

(End of Mikan's POV)

_End of Chapter 9_

Ayumi: Whoot! Finally! An update! I'm so sorry to have disappointed you guys with this very late and short update. It's just that school is busy these days. I am soooo sorry for making 40 people wait for me to update. :( I am being so unusually mean these days. And whoa...78 reviews. I love you guys! The 100th one will get the chapter I'm writing by then dedicated to him/her. :) So keep your reviews coming. :)


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: Super late update

Author's Note: Super late update. Omg. It's 10:04 pm already! xD Just had this brilliant idea pop into my mind :) Enjoy!

**Dream Prince**

**Chapter 10**

Mikan looked at herself in the mirror in her room. It reflected someone she thought she could never at least look like. The girl she saw was actually pretty. Her brown eyes stared back; hints of eyeshadow could be seen. She had applied some blush and truly, she looked a lot prettier with the blush. Her hair was tied up into a ponytail, due to its length. Her dress was rather long and white in color. It had no sleeves, but she still borrowed it from Hotaru since she thought it had looked pretty.

She opened the door and saw her mother, watching some evening soap while nibbling on cookies. They had all agreed that Hotaru would be taking them in one of her sassy cars; the perks of having a rich best friend is what most would call it, and it fit the situation perfectly.

"I thought it was a masquerade, Mikan. Don't you have a mask?" Yuka asked.

"I borrowed your blue one," Mikan said.

She could perfectly remember her mother's stories about it. About how she used it on her own Christmas ball, and how it led her to, well, acquaint herself with her father.

"I guess that will be becoming a family heirloom," Yuka said as she laughed.

"But it's really pretty!" Mikan said.

"And it suits you."

"Thank you, mother."

Natsume came out of his room. His tux was the typical black one. His necktie was rather messily placed. His hair was going in all places. But it suited him, in a way. The "bad boy" image always suited Natsume.

His crimson eyes which looked as if they were on fire fell onto the beautiful brunette. Mikan continued to nibble on cookies, while waiting for Hotaru to come.

Shortly after the raven-haired boy's appearance, his almost-equally amazing sister came out in a light blue dress that reached only her knees. Her hair was down, like it usually was. Aoi went downstairs to nibble on some cookies too.

The doorbell rang and Yuka came to get it. It revealed Hotaru, who was dressed in a purple velvety dress with sleeves. She wore amethyst earrings, which complemented her eyes. Ruka, meanwhile, was in the usual tux with a blue necktie.

"So are we ready to go? Or are you two just going to nibble on those cookies?" Hotaru said.

"I made that!" Yuka replied.

"Gomen, Yuka-san."

"Let's go!" was Mikan's enthusiastic reply.

All of them got into the car and the driver drove off to the school.

The school's gym was decorated with Christmas lights, Christmas decorations. A lot really; but in the middle of it all was a large Christmas tree that became the highlight of the room. Its decorations were not merely Christmas balls but rather, they were letters that were to be given by the New Year, when the students came back to school from other students, who remained a mystery to the student who received it. Under it was a shady place made for the gifts that were to be given on the exchange gifts thing.

There were lots of food and the music blasted from the speakers. An infamous band was playing on the gym's stage but the students didn't really care. All they were looking into was their partner's eyes, as they were dancing to the music, slow or fast. Mikan just sat there, with her blue mask on, waiting and completely bored.

She somehow wanted to dance with Natsume but it would be awkward for a girl to ask a boy to dance with her but soon enough, someone asked Mikan to dance with him.

Mikan looked at his masked face. The boy's eyes were gray, totally unfamiliar to Mikan. They weren't the eyes she wanted to stare at.

"May I dance with the pretty brown-eyed lady?" He asked.

"Uhm…Sure," Mikan replied, completely speechless.

She didn't want to dance with this complete stranger. But the music played and the boy's grip on Mikan's wrist tightened and it somehow hurt. She could sense bad intentions from this guy, and surely her predictions were somewhat correct.

The stranger brought her to a room and silenced her. He took off his mask and still, the stranger didn't look familiar at all. He got out this fancy cell phone-looking thing. Well it looked like one, but it just didn't seem like it. The person jabbed a few buttons and soon, he was speaking to someone.

**Mikan's POV**

That idiot better find me or else I'll kill him if I get to see him again. My hands and legs were tied up; my mouth was covered. He didn't need to blindfold me since the room's darkness was enough.

"Tell me," He spoke, "Where are the prince and the princess?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Right. I saw you in the car with them."

Who in the world could they be? I shivered at the thought that Natsume might know this guy.

"I seriously don't know anything about this prince and princess crap."

"Feigning innocence, I see. Or probably just waiting for her prince to come and rescue her."

Hell? I'm not doing anything! That idiot better come. The thing that covered my mouth was removed now, and it was my opportunity to scream.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!"

End of POV

Natsume's keen senses knew that voice from anywhere. He knew Mikan was in danger. He could even see Aoi's face looking worried as she left her partner, baffled and feeling as if he was dumped.

"Sorry," Aoi said, "Mikan-nee needs me more."

Aoi approached her brother.

"Let's go. We can't risk Mikan-nee," Aoi said.

Natsume and Aoi walked out of the hall without a word, unnoticed.

"Do you sense her?" Natsume asked.

"Nothing onii-chan. My powers don't seem to work," Aoi said.

Natsume had a heart after all, and well, he guessed that he had to follow it. His instinct told him to open that door at the end of the corridor, leading to probably a basement of some sort.

Aoi followed her older brother as Natsume switched on the lights.

"Shit," The stranger cursed.

Mikan was still tied up but she could see now. Someone must have heard her, but she thought it was near impossible. _'These people must have keen senses,'_ Mikan thought to herself.

The stranger pushed Mikan to the wall, and Mikan's back ached with pain. And then, Mikan could see Natsume's hair, and she knew she was safe.

But, I guess, this was just the beginning, for the gray-eyed stranger got out a gun.

"Don't you dare move!"

Author's Notes: Whoot! Another chapter done :) Can't believe I'd finish this within the school year. Waaa…Have to sleep now. I still have 7:30 ballet lessons and it's already 10:52 pm. Bye :D

And do leave your reviews :) Just reminding you guys that the 100th reviewer gets the chapter I'm written by then dedicated to him/her. ;) ;) That's it.


	11. Chapter 11

_Dedicated to Annaoj (For being the 100__th__ reviewer)._

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews! I feel so hanging because I left Chapter 10 with a cliffie, but if I didn't divide it, it would be too long. And you have to consider I was typing that all at around 10:00 pm and well, I had to sleep. So here's the 11th chapter.

**Dream Prince**

**Chapter 11**

The siblings' eyes widened as they saw a familiar face.

"How did you get here?" Natsume asked.

Mikan remained tied up, and this time she was in pain. Her back had hurt too much that she didn't have the strength to listen, no matter how interesting the conversation sounded.

"Your father is looking for you. And you're here, partying the night away with your little sister, and this idiot girl," The stranger said.

"Azuma-san, you're not supposed to be here," Aoi said.

"Your father wants both of you back into the Dream World," Azuma said.

"It is not the right time to go back yet, Azuma-san. Surely mother explained that this will take quite some time?" Aoi asked.

"But your mother did not include an explanation for you. Only for Natsume."

"If I am the one to suffer for it, I will be the one to pay for it in the end. I wouldn't care about the 'grave' consequences."

"I was told that if you did not comply, I will have to take some physical action."

Azuma still pointed the gun at the two, completely not caring about Mikan. Natsume knew that Mikan would beat this guy up if she were free so he lit up a little flame, which freed Mikan from the rope. But it seemed Mikan was unconscious due to the impact of being thrown against the wall.

_Wake up, baka._

--

Mikan, eventually, recovered and remembered that they were in danger from whats-his-name and quickly grabbed this broom that was lying down harmlessly beside her. Then, she quickly charged to the guy and hit him on the head.

"Let's go, Mikan-nee," Aoi said.

Mikan just gave a simple nod as the three ran back to the gym, while they still had the chance.

"Could you guys explain to me this whole prince and princess thing that guy mentioned to me back there in the basement?" Mikan asked, panting in between her words.

"We'll explain once were in a safer situation. As of now, all we have to do is run away from that maniac," Aoi said.

--

She didn't want to go back.

But let's face it. She wasn't supposed to go there either. So what was her purpose here? But she had learned to somehow like this world because she was actually real, and people actually treated her like a person, not like some kind of upper class snob who doesn't know how to live independently (when in fact, she knew how to survive on her own).

"Is something wrong?"

Aoi looked up at the person speaking to her. Even with his mask on, she could recognize that it was Youichi. 'Unusual how he began the conversation' was Aoi's first thought since she was usually the one who started these long conversations. But it seemed, this was going to be longer than all the others.

"Nothing much, except for the fact that I don't want to go back to where I really came from."

"Which is where exactly?"

"Can't tell you. It's classified information, and very few are supposed to know. And unfortunately, you aren't part of those few."

"I see. Why don't you want to go back then?"

"That place is one of the most horrible places. I'm not even free there!"

"Why did you go here?"

"To follow onii-chan."

"Why?"

"I just had to. He's too dense to realize stuff sometimes."

"And you have to help him realize those stuff?"

"Yeah. That's why my mother sent me here, since I'm kind of good at reading between the lines."

"I see."

There was some silence between the two as they both noticed Natsume trying to comfort the traumatized Mikan.

"Why did Natsume go here?"

"That will remain a secret."

"So..."

Aoi looked at Youichi's eyes and practically read his mind.

"Sure, I'd love to dance."

_How did she know that?_

--

Aoi and Youichi were silently gliding across the floor. They were just dancing as friends but many had been curious about what their 'real' relationship is when in fact, they were really just friends. But this whole dance thing just made their curiosities hungry for information as they spotted Aoi and Youichi just dancing and looking into each other's eyes. It was silent, yes, but it seemed as if there was some kind of communication going between only the two wherein no one could decipher whatever they were telling each other. It was some sort of secret code they had.

The music played, and the two danced until they stopped, due to exhaustion.

"So, are you going to stay?"

"No matter what the consequences."

--

"Just who are you, Natsume?" Mikan finally asked.

He knew she wanted answers, real answers. Not lies but rather she wanted the truth.

"Where did you come from? How did you do that thing in the beach? How did you know that guy a while ago? And why did you come here?"

More questions spilled out and Natsume was holding in his answers. How can he trust this girl in front of him? But then again, she had not told anyone yet about the whole accident in the beach. He could trust her, but he was doubting it.

So he led her out of the gym, into the school grounds. They sat on the swings of the playground, which was made for the elementary students, and just for the sake of fun. The playground was empty, but if you listened closely, children's voices resonated in that whole area. This was their world; and two teenagers just had to invade that childish world. It felt like trespassing for some reason, but they didn't feel guilty at all.

"I came from a different world," Natsume began, "And that incident you saw on the beach was no magic trick."

--

Author's Notes: I was in the mood to leave you guys with a cliffie, since I believe that I update faster when I leave a cliffie. Well, I know it's super duper annoying but it's my only motivation to update! Because I want to continue this story. I always feel guilty when I leave a cliffie, but then again, if I want fast updates, I guess I have to do them -.- Harsh reality :( Anyway, the chapter you guys have been waiting for will be coming up next and will reveal some stuff about Natsume and Aoi's origins (Just wanted to give you guys a clue about what you'll see next xD). Felt kind to give you a super, unrevealing sneak peek since I don't want to make excerpts down there :D It wouldn't be so exciting anymore.

Oh...And if there's a grammatical error and stuff, forgive me. I was using WordPad to type this since my brother was using the computer with the MSWord. :) Just tell me if there's some sort of grammatical error since I'm kind of lazy to find a beta reader (Even if I have a classmate who betareads ((Serii-pyon a.k.a. Celz. Know her? Yep. She's my classmate :) )))) and well, I'm too lazy to edit it myself. But Chapter 12 won't come in as fast as this one though since I still have to start on my project due on Tuesday, and I have to start thinking about my story for Creative Writing Class (sighs)

Just tell me if the grammar sucks, okay? I'll edit it as soon as I get the urge to edit my stories.

Whoa. Long note xD

Leave your reviews by the way. Next target reviewer? 127th reviewer :D People who know me well enough know why I'm targeting for that number :P (Like some people rolls eyes)127th reviewer gets the chapter I'm writing by then dedicated to him/her. So leave your reviews. :) I love reading them.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: Oh yeah! I just love this story I wanted to continue it. :) The computer got broken so I'm working with a laptop, currently. I'm quite busy too, actually. Plus, I already wrote a partial draft of this but well, the computer crashed and I have no idea what happened to the stupid files.

Anyway, I apologize for the very slow update so here it is; chapter 12 of Dream Prince! (My hand's freezing xD)

_"I came from a different world," Natsume began, "And that incident you saw on the beach was no magic trick."_

**Dream Prince**

**Chapter 12**

Mikan's eyes blinked at what Natsume said. Sure, she expected him to say that but this seriously? 'You have got to be kidding me,' Mikan thought as she looked at me.

"So where do you come from then?" She asked.

"I come from a world you humans only dream of. You see, Aoi and I aren't exactly real. We're what you could call 'Dreams'. We're only imaginary but when we enter this world, we become human-like but we will still have our powers. Aoi and I are the children of the rulers of the Dream Kingdom and well…there."

"So why did you even come here?"

"So that I could look for a bride."

Mikan's heart practically crashed when he mentioned the word 'bride'. 'What if it's not me?' Mikan asked herself in thought, 'But wait. What am I saying? I don't even love him. What made me say that?' Inside, she wasn't feeling so good as the battle of her mind and heart occurred.

"What for?"

"I'll have to inherit the kingdom sooner or later and I need a queen. And well, none of the people in the kingdom fit my qualifications…They only fit father's."

"But how could the human bride explain to her family?" Mikan asked.

"You're existence in this world will be forgotten and you shall remain in the Realm of Dreams…forever."

'Why is he using the pronoun 'you'?' Mikan thought, 'Is he implying something?' She raised her eyebrows at what Natsume was saying.

"Why are you using 'you', Natsume-kun?"

Natsume gulped and looked away with a blank expression on his face.

"Why, Natsume?"

And right at that precise second, Natsume kissed Mikan. The world didn't stop spinning. But the stars glowed, brighter than ever. Then it began to drizzle.

"Let's go back," Natsume said.

"Where?"

"Home."

"But what about Aoi?"

"She can take care of herself and the others. Your friends are in grave danger too, now that I think Azuma's suspicions have risen about you."

"But—"

"Hold my hand."

He took Mikan's hand and they vanished. And the last thing that Mikan heard were footsteps crunching on the grass.

"Okaa-chan, open the door."

Yuka rushed to the door and I and Natsume entered, to avoid the rain.

"What about the ball?" Yuka asked.

"We had to leave."

"Why?"

"It's dangerous there. Someone tried to kidnap me."

"Goodness! Are you alright?" Yuka asked.

"Yes. Yes, I am."

A knock came from the door and I saw a shadow creep up on the floor.

"Yuka-san, whatever you do, don't go near that shadow," Natsume said.

The shadow then took a form of a human and we saw it was…

"Tsubasa-senpai?!"

"How's my little kohai?" He grinned.

"Don't tell me."

"Don't be fooled, Mikan! He's…"

"That's right, Mikan. Come closer."

The shape transformed into Azuma and he quickly grabbed me and put a knife by my throat.

"Come back, little Natsume."

Natsume kneeled down and covered his ears.

"Natsume!"

I struggled to get away from the foolish Azuma person but he gripped my wrist tighter. A black portal-like thing appeared behind him.

"NATSUME! PLEASE!"

I kicked Azuma's knee.

"You brat, I'll kill you!" Azuma screamed as he disappeared into the portal.

I ran towards Natsume to see if he was alright.

"Natsume…"

"Put him down on the couch, dear."

Aoi burst into the room.

"Nii-chan, they…they took…"

"Took who?" Natsume replied weakly.

"Natsume, please rest. You won't go on like that."

"They took Ruka-niisan, Hotaru-nee, and Youichi!"

Tears spilled from my eyes. First, Natsume. Now, them? To what point will this chaos ever stop?

"We're going back there; but only temporarily. Yuka-san, please tell Hotaru's and Youichi's parents that they're both going to sleep over here. We're going to be absent for a few days, probably a week or two so please Yuka-san, ask Hotaru's and Youichi's parents to excuse them. And excuse us from school too."

"Okay."

Aoi created a portal, only the color was white, unlike Azuma's.

"The color white symbolizes the royal portal, Mikan-nee, in case if you're wondering."

Aoi dipped her foot in first and only half of her body was visible as she helped Natsume into the portal.

"Go, Mikan-nee. I can't hold it much longer."

I jumped in and it felt like I was being sucked or something. And in an instant, I was in a different world.

Author's Notes: It's 8:35 pm and I still haven't finished the article I had planned to finish a while ago :( Shoot. I just got so excited to type this chapter out. And now, I still want to continue it :) But sadly, I can't. I'll update this again when I get some kind of mental outline for the next scenes.

127th reviewer gets the prize, yo! :-j I'm dedicating the chapter I'm writing by then to that reviewer :D And review marathon starts…NOW. Hit that button, alright? :D xD


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Note: You guys thought I was dead, didn't you? LOL. I'm not. I was supposedly going to leave this in its incomplete state forever (Seeing that I became uninspired at some point). I was even thinking of deleting my account. But after reading Dream Prince again after…a very long time, my mind suddenly goes back into writing mode seeing how bored I am with summer right now. So anyway, here's Chapter 13, late as always :D

**DREAM PRINCE**

**Chapter 13**

**Mikan's POV**

My eyes were closed but I could feel the warmth that was emanating from the sun. It was oddly refreshing and much different from the one that usually woke me up in my bedroom. Or was it?

I opened my eyes since I knew that I was not in my bedroom. The first things that greeted my vision were some trees and bushes. Wait a minute. Just how did I end up in this forest? Oh right.

Natsume.

"NATSUME!" I screamed.

How dare that twit leave me all alone in this entirely different dimension? I didn't know where to go. For the first time in my life, I felt utterly lost. It seemed as if my recent memories were erased from my memory.

Just when I was about to sink down to the ground again, something covered my eyes and hit a pressure point that made me fall asleep again.

**End of POV**

"Okaa-san," Natsume said, "I've found her."

"Where is she then?" Natsume's mother looked at him expectantly.

"Well…"

**Flashback**

**Natsume's POV**

"Idiot!" I yelled at the brunette who was staring aimlessly into space.

She was in the bubble that was supposedly supposed to transport us back to the castle safely. We were all in our separate bubbles and we were supposed to steer towards the castle.

"What's…happening?" Mikan asked.

"Roll your bubble towards the castle!" I ordered.

"And how exactly am I supposed to do that?" She asked me, completely clueless of what she was doing.

Right. She had no powers so she can't make the bubble roll towards the castle. The bubble supposedly has a mind of its own and it was training for us royals to make it steer towards the direction of where our destination was with our minds. There must be a way.

"Pretend it's a hamster's ball thing, Mikan-nee! You're the hamster, so make it roll towards that big structure over there!" Aoi said.

"O-Okay," Mikan replied, unsure of what exactly she was supposed to do.

She made the bubble roll towards the castle but a gust of wind made her go completely off-track. She was going to get lost and this disturbed my concentration. Nevertheless, I was about to crash into the castle while Mikan was headed straight for the Forest Maze.

Supposedly, anyone who had evil intentions never made it out of that place. God, this was just going to complicate things.

**End of POV**

**End of Flashback**

"This means there's nothing we can do about this," Natsume's mother sadly replied.

"Nothing except enter that maze! I promise, I'll get out of there alive," Natsume said.

"I'll go with onii-chan," Aoi said.

"No, Aoi. You must stay. You can't go into that forest! We're not even certain if your brother will be able to get out!" Natsume's mother retorted.

"Fine," Aoi said, obviously annoyed at her mother's reaction.

"Your father might have found her by now since half of the forest is his domain. There's a possibility that she landed in their half. Hurry, Natsume."

Natsume got a bag that was brought by one of the members of the court and teleported his way to the edge of the Kingdom of Dreams.

**Natsume's POV**

The sun was about to set but I could not waste anymore time and put my mission of looking for Mikan on hold. I could not simply surrender her to my father's clutches.

You see, my mother and my father are two very different people; or rather they're very different creatures. My mother is wiser and always looked at the brighter side of things. She always thought that there was no other way to go but forward. My father, on the other hand, was a rather gloomy and was a bit of a sadist. He was always pessimistic and irritable about a lot of things. At one point, these two complete opposites got along with each other so well, to the point that they had two kids together. Well, this relationship doesn't seem to last long since they split up. So the dream world was split up. My mother's territory was called the Kingdom of Dreams while my father's domain was the Kingdom of Nightmares. Mom got custody over us kids however, when both of them pass away, I was to have the Dream World in my hands and Aoi was to get nothing but her title and my support in whatever she wanted to do. Aoi had it easier on her since they put all of the pressure on me.

Knowing my father's sadistic ways and his strength, he was sure to have kidnapped Hotaru, Ruka, and Youichi and he was probably on the prowl for Mikan too. Maybe he'd already gotten Mikan. I wouldn't know.

The sun was setting fast and I did not know where I was or where I was headed. All I knew was that I had to find Mikan.

**End of POV**

**Mikan's POV**

"Is she awake yet?" A stranger asked.

"Doesn't seem like it," Another replied.

It was pitch black and really cold. The room I was in gave off one feeling, a feeling that I was going to die and there was nothing I could do about it. It made me feel so hopeless. My hands were bound to my back and my legs were bound together and it didn't seem like I could wriggle these things off. They were tight and I was trapped in this room and by the looks of it, I was going to be stuck in here indefinitely.

Something kicked my knee.

"Don't…scream. You can't let them know you're awake," A familiar voice whispered.

"H-Hotaru?"

"Duh, baka. Ruka and Youichi are here too. Now, just shut up and I'll get those things off you."

"But aren't these ropes?"

"They're spirit ropes. I can tell."

"Please don't tell me you're not human too?"

"Shut up."

Hotaru muttered a prayer and I could feel the things that bound my hands and legs loosen up.

"You've been very kind spirits. I hope you find your way," Hotaru muttered.

"What are you?" I asked her.

"A spirit," She replied.

"So, you're not human?"

"I can take any form. I'm beginning to like this human body a lot. It's really comfortable and warm. Plus, I can do a lot of things with it."

This is just great. So, I've just recently found out that the person I like is a prince from another world and that he's literally the "Prince of Your Dreams". And now, I find out that my childhood best friend is in fact a spirit? Is the world going nuts or what?

"So, we're all free now and all we have to do is get past those guards," Ruka said.

"Are you human, Ruka-pyon?" I asked.

"…I can actually talk to animals. But besides that, I'm a pretty normal human being," He replied.

"Youichi?"

"I'm normal, Mikan-senpai," He replied.

"Well, at least I know I'm not abnormal."

My eyes were beginning to get used to the dark. I could see everyone's faces but Hotaru's was the face I could see the clearest, since she was the one nearest to me.

"This king's harsh. He used spirits to build the entire castle," Hotaru pointed out.

Hotaru muttered something again and it seemed that the guards outside had fallen asleep, since that was what she told us.

"So, all we need now is someone to tell Hyuuga that we've all managed to escape and he should come drag us out of here since we don't belong here," Hotaru said, "You think you can tell the guards' lap dog to look for Hyuuga and send a message, animal boy?"

"Hey, I'm not a beast!" Ruka disagreed.

"Well, you're about to be," Hotaru smirked.

Ruka stared at Hotaru evilly and gave her a gesture that meant 'I'm going to kill you'. Hotaru just continued putting on her smirk as Ruka went outside to tell the dog to pass a message to Natsume.

**End of POV**

"Hey, dog!" Ruka called.

"What do you want, boy?" The dog asked.

"Do you know a boy who looks our age who has red eyes? He's a bit tan," Ruka said. He suddenly spots the picture on the wall. "He kind of looks like that guy!" Ruka pointed at the picture on the wall.

"I do know that the king's way older than a measly boy like you but he does have a son who lives in the other kingdom and he looks exactly the same. Almost like a carbon copy of the king."

"Can you tell him to come here? Tell him that Mikan's here. And so is Ruka, Hotaru and Youichi."

"You owe me for this, boy. What's your name, by the way?" The dog asked.

"I'm Ruka. I swear I'll repay you with something. Thanks!"

"The name's Bull," The dog said.

"Right. Thanks, Bull."

"So, all we can do now is wait," Hotaru said.

The guards were still fast asleep. The cell was still dark and filthy. None of them could still see a thing. But something was different now. It wasn't as hopeless as it used to be.

Author's Note: Well, that's a pretty long chapter but I'm sort of glad that I've still got my touch…somewhat. Anyway, I'm trying to read my stories again and somehow finish them. I'll be updating as soon as I possibly can. Forgive the grammatical errors, if any are present o.o I'm getting a bit lazy to proofread this. xD


End file.
